Pole banner construction



T. FRlEDRlCHSEN POLE BANNER CONSTRUCTION Dec. 29, 1 970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1969 IN vmv'mn. 77mm M'wdrwksen ATTORNEYS 1970 T. FRIEDRICHSEN 3,550,297

PQLE BANNER CQNSTRUCTION Filed May 26. 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,550,297 POLE BANNER CONSTRUCTION Thomas Friedrichsen, Massillon, Ohio, assignor to The Massillon-Cleveland-Akron Sign Company, Massillon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 26, 1969, Ser. No. 827,575 Int. Cl. G09f 7/18 [1.5. C]. 40128 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The pole banner construction has all hardware for supporting a flexible banner member permanently mounted on a pole. The hardware has a supporting position extending horizontally of the pole and is movable to an inactive position inconspicuous on the pole. A flexible banner member having reinforced side edges is mounted on the hardware and is adapted to be folded into a small package for shipment in an envelope. A pair of banner members may be similarly mounted on either side of the pole. The flexible banner members may be replaced from time to time without loss of any parts of the permanently mounted hardware.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS The invention involves improvements upon the constructions shown in Pats. Nos. 2,764,830, 2,882,630, 2,893,147, and 3,310,899.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to a banner display sign mounted on a pole of a type wherein a flexible banner member is supported at its upper end and spring tensioned at its lower end on a pole, such as a light pole located at a gasoline service station, to display a series of appropriate advertising messages from time to time. A pole banner sign of this general type is shown in said Pat. No. 2,764,830. The flexible banner of such a pole banner sign should be tensioned and should be detachable for changing the banner message from time to time in an advertising campaign wherein a series of signs is displayed. It is advantageous to have all components of the hardware used to support the flexible banner on the pole permanently mounted on the pole so that the hardware can be used without loss or replacement of any component when banners are changed. Also, it is desirable that the permanently mounted hardware should be inconspicuous on the. pole at all times when a fiexible banner is not mounted thereon. Finally, the banner component should be capable of being shipped, as by mail in a small package such as in an envelope.

Description of the prior art The prior art is well shown in the prior patents identified above. Many types and kinds of poles exist at various gasoline service stations located throughout the country. Any of such poles may be at the desired place or location for mounting a series of banner display signs. Many ditferent types and kinds of poles are involved, such as tubular metal poles, either plain or corrugated, cylindrical or tapered, or generally circular or polygonal in cross section; or the poles may be wooden, or concrete or plastic; and any such pole may have any desired configuration in size and cross section.

This involves problems in providing upper and lower support members for a banner, particularly when the support members must hold the upper and lower edges of a rectangular vertically extending flexible banner in substantially horizontally extending locations when the 3,550,297 Patented Dec. 29, 1970 banner is mounted on the pole, and to at the same time provide permanently mounted support member hardware which is inconspicuous when not in use to support a banner.

These considerations thus have presented a need for a simple, effective and eflicient mode of mounting a flexible. banner in tensioned position on a pole with all the hardware permanently mounted on the pole and movable to an inconspicuous position when not in use, and in which the flexible banner per se may be folded in a small conveniently handled package for shipping for the repeated mounting and display of a series of different banners to carry out an advertising campaign.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a pole banner display sign construction which releasably suspends and mounts a flexible preferably rectangular banner member or component in tensioned condition extending vertically on a pole with the banner located between upper and lower suspension or support means hardware all permanently mounted on the pole, wherein the hardware is movable between an inconspicuous or inactive position, and a mounting position extending generally laterally horizontally of the pole. Further objectives involve the use of hardware permanently mounted on a pole including rigid members extending laterally of the pole in supporting position and movable when no banner is supported thereby to a position in which the rigid members do not stick laterally outwardly of the pole.

Another objective is to reduce the cost of the replaceable flexible banner members or components, as well as the cost of shipping the same, by providing for shipment in a condition folded to small package size so that the banner may be contained in a relatively small envelope without any rigid stick members heretofore necessary in mounting prior flexible banners.

These objectives an advantages ae attained by the pole banner construction, the general nature of which may be stated as including the combination of a flexible banner member generally rectangular in shape, formed of foldable cloth, fabric, or plastic material having an upper edge, a lower edge, and side edges; a flexible reinforcing rope provided with loops at its ends mounted at each banner side edge; upper and lower banner hardware support and suspension means adapted to be permanently mounted on a pole; the upper support means comprising an angle member permanently mounted on the pole and having a pivot pin, a pair of upper rigid angle members having slotted connection with said pin adapted to be telescoped inwardly toward and with respect to each other and within the first angle support member, whereby the pair of upper rigid members is engaged and held in laterally extended horizontal position, hook means at the outer ends of said upper rigid members, and spring means tensioning said slotted connection; the lower support means comprising an angle member permanently mounted on the pole, a pair of lower rigid angle members pivotally supported at their inner ends on said pivot pin, and hook means at the outer ends of said lower rigid members; said upper and lower rigid member hook means being detachably connected to the rope loops at the four corners of said rectangular banner member; and spring tensioning means urging the lower rigid members downwardly with respect to the upper support means to maintain the banner member tensioned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principlesis set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved pole banner construction;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a portion of FIG. 1 with the upper support means locked in supporting position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 2 showing the parts of the upper support means when not in use;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the lower support means in supporting position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the parts of the lower support means when not in use:

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 66, FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 77, FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 8-8, FIG. 3;

. FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 99, FIG. 10; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of a portion of FIG. 4, with parts broken away.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved pole banner construction is generally indicated at 1 wherein a flexible banner 2 is mounted on a pole 3. The mounting means for flexible banner component 2 comprises uppper support means generally indicated at 4 and lower support means generally indicated at 5.

Referring to FIGS. .2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, the upper support means 4 includes an angle member 6 having a channel back mounting plate 7 permanently mounted on pole 3 in any suitable manner. As shown, channel mounting plate 7 is bolted or riveted at 7a to pole 3, but any other means of engaging and permanently mounting member 7 on pole 3 may be used.

The upper support means 4 also includes two rigid extendible angle support members or arms 8 and 9, each of which has an upper flange 10 adapted to extend laterally of pole 3 and horizontally when the members 8 and 9 are in the supporting position shown in FIG. 2. Each of members 8 and 9 is formed With an elongated slot '11 through which a pin 12 mounted on angle member 6 extends. The flanges of angle members 8 and 9 are telescoped one within the other and with angle member 6, and the engaged flanges 10 of members 8 and 9 are locked by the top flange 13 of angle member 6 when members 8 and 9 are moved to the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2 and also are pushed end-wise toward each other and toward pole 3 so that the inner end 14 of each member 8 and 9 moves laterally away from pin 12. The slots 11 permit such movement.

The locking of members 8 and 9 in the supporting position results from the overlapped or telescoped position of the inner ends of top flanges 10 of members 8 and 9' engaged with angle flange 13. As each member 8 and 9 is moved laterally outwardly, the inner ends '14 of the members may pivot on pin 12 at the ends of the slots 11 closest to said ends 14, so that the members 8 and 9 may hang downwardly along pole 9 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, in an inconspicuous position.

A spring 12a preferably surrounds pin 12 (FIG. 6) and is held by self-locking nut 12b under pressure against the ends of overlapped portions of members 8 and 9, to maintain the members 8 and 9 stable in supporting position.

Referring to FIGS 4, 5, 9, and 10, the lower support means 5 includes an angle member 15 permanently mounted on pole 3 by channel back mounting plate 15a, in the same manner that the upper support angle member 6 is mounted on pole 3.

The lower support means 5 also includes two rigid angle support members or arms '16 and 17, each of which has an upper flange 18 adapted to extend laterally of pole 3 and generally horizontally when the members 16 and 17 are in the supporting position shown in FIG. 4. Each arm 16 and 17 is pivotally mounted at 19 on spaced apart studs on angle member 15. Thus, members 16 and 17 hang downwardly by gravity along pole 3 as shown in FIG. 5 in an inconspicuous position when not in use to mount and tension a banner member 2 on pole 3. A hook member 20 is mounted at each .end of each of angle support arms 8, 9, 16, and '17.

In accordance with the invention, flexible banner component 2, used to display a sign or an advertsing message printed or otherwise carried thereon, is preferably generally rectangular in shape and formed of cloth, fabric, or plastic, or other flexible material so that it may be folded into a package small enough in size that it may be contained in a relatively small envelope. Banner component 2 has an upper edge 21, a lower edge 22, and side edges 23. A rope 24 is sewn or hemmed to the material from which banner 2 is formed along each side edge 23, not only to provide reinforcement for banner component 2, but also to form mounting means at each corner of banner component 2. This is accomplished by forming loops 25 at each end of each reinforcing rope 24 secured to each banner side edge 23.

In mounting a banner on the support means 4 and 5, loops 25 at the banner corners are engaged with the hooks 20 at the outer ends of the angle support arms 8, 9, 16, and 17 when the latter are in supporting position as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. Preferably, the normal spacing between the banner loops 25 at the top corners of banner 2 is such that when the loops 25 are engaged with hooks 20 on upper support arms 8 and 9, arms 8 and 9 are held against extension such as would permit arms 8 and 9 to move to an unlocked position.

Although the lower edge support members 16 and 17 tend to swing downward by gravity, unless heavily weighted, they normally will not maintain sufiicient tension on banner 2 that the banner 2 is held taut at all times. Such tensioning is provided by a coil spring 26 mounted on a stud 27 carried by angle member 15 above and centrally of the spaced pivot pins or studs 19 for the arms 16 and 17 as shown in FIG. 10. Spring 26 has tensioning arms 28 which engage the top flanges 18 of arms 16 and 17 urging the arms downwardly to hold banner component 2 under tension.

Wind pressure on banner component 2 may tend to belly component 2 outward and to exert an upward pull on the ends of arms 16 and 17 against the tension of spring 26. In order to permit supporting arms 16 and 17 to move freely under tension, preferably nylon washers 29 are interposed between the pivoted ends of members 16 and 17 and the rear flange of angle member 15. Such wind pressure may have considerable force and may be applied in any direction. Thus, it may exert a horizontal pull against the outer ends of arms 16 and 17, tending to bend the pivoted inner ends of the arms. Reinforcing clips 30 to resist such bending are secured as by spot welding to the rear legs of members 16 and 17. Clips 30 have offset ears 31 which engage the rear face of the rear flange of angle member 15, as best shown in FIG. 9.

Frictional resistance between ears 31, arms 16 and 17, and the two surfaces of the rear flange of angle member 15 during tensioned movement of the arms may occur; and this may be reduced by providing headed nylon rivets at 32 and 33 on the rear flange of angle member 15 (FIGS. 9 and 10). Nylon rivets 32 preferably have their heads projecting forwardly to engage the arms 16 and 17, while nylon rivets 33 have their heads projecting rearwardly to engage the ears 31 of reinforcing clips 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is usual to mount t-wo banners back to back on any pole to display signs in opposite directions. This may be accomplished as illustrated in FIG.

1 by permanently mounting the upper and lower support means hardware back to back on either side of the pole 3 for mounting two banners on the pole.

Advertising campaigns conducted through point-ofpurchase advertising at gasoline or service stations frequently involve the successive display of a series of advertising messages. In accordance with the invention, this may be accomplished merely by replacing banners 2 with new banners from time to time. Such replacement is performed readily, quickly, and easily merely by unhooking the loops 25 at the corners of each old banner 2 from the hooks on the support arms and engaging similar loops of a new banner 2 on the support means hooks 20.

If it is not desired to display any banner on the pole for a period of time, banner 2 is removed, and the upper support arms 8 and 9 are extended laterally to permit them to be disengaged from locked position with respect to upper rigid angle member 6. Arms 8 and 9 then swing to hang downwardly in an inconspicuous position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. When banner 2 is unhooked from the lower support arms 16 and 17, the latter will swing downwardly by gravity to hang in an inconspicuous position as shown in FIG. 5.

Accordingly, the new pole banner construction provides an arrangement in which all hardware components of the banner construction required for mounting the banner are permanently mounted on the pole, and only the flexible banner component per se is removable; provides a construction in which the permanently mounted hardware components are positioned in an inconspicuous position when not in use with no arms sticking out laterally of the pole; provides a construction in which the flexible banner component may be tensioned; provides a construction which eliminates use of stick members mounted within hems at the top and bottom of the flexible banner which normally have had to be shipped for replacement with new banners for a banner change; provides a banner which may be folded into a small package and shipped in an envelope to the place of use; provides a new construction having reduced banner and banner shipment costs; provides a construction which may be readily mounted on any kind or type or size or material of existing pole; and provides a construction eliminating difficulties present with prior devices, and which achieves the objectives stated and solves existing problems in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved pole banner sign is constructed and used, the characteristics of the new construction, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Pole banner construction of a type in which a flexible banner is removably mounted and tensioned on a pole; including a rectangular flexible banner having upper, lower and side edges and corners therebetween, banner securing loop means at each of the banner corners; upper and lower support means for the banner; each support means including a pair of pivotal arms having free ends each provided with hook means; the support means arms being adapted to be moved to horizontal locations; means locking the upper support arms in horizontal location; the banner loop means being engaged with the hook means; and means tensioning the lower support arms against the banner through the hook and loop means to maintain the banner taut.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which flexible reinforcing rope means is secured to and extends along each banner side edge, and in which the banner securing loop means are formed at the ends of said rope means.

3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which said upper and lower support means are adapted to be permanently mounted on a pole.

4. Pole banner construction of a type in which a flexible banner is removably mounted and tensioned on a pole; including a rectangular flexible banner having upper, lower and side edges and corners therebetween, banner securing loop means at each of the banner corners; upper and lower support means for the banners; the upper support means including an upper bracket member having flange means adapted to be mounted on a pole and having projecting pin means, a pair of support arms, the support arms having free outer ends and overlapped inner ends, the overlapped arm ends having slotted connection with said pin means, the arms having abutment means, the abutment means and bracket flange means being engaged locking the arms against the bracket flange means when the arms are pivoted on said pin means to horizontal location and moved end-wise toward each other along the overlapped slotted connections to supporting position, the arms swinging on said pin means to vertical position when moved end-wise away from each other along the overlapped slotted connections while horizontally located; the lower support means including a lower bracket member adapted to be mounted on said pole, a pair of tensioning arms, the tensioning arms having free ends and inner ends pivotally mounted on said lower bracket member; hook means mounted at the free end of each arm; said banner loop means being engaged with the hook means; and tensioning means pressing the pair of tensioning arms in a direction away from the banner to maintain the banner taut.

5. The construction defined in claim 4 in which the tensioning means comprises a coil spring mounted on the lower bracket member having wings engaging said tensioning arms.

6. The construction defined in claim 5 in which the upper and lower support means are adapted to be permanently mounted on a pole whereby the banner may be changed by unhooking an initial banner from said hook means and hooking a replacement banner to said hook means.

7. The construction defined in claim 6 in which the flexible initial and replacement banners each may be folded to small package size for envelope shipment.

8. Pole banner construction of a type in which a flexible banner is removably mounted and tensioned on permanent hardware means mounted on a pole; the permanent hardware means comprising upper and lower banner support means; each support means including a pair of pivotal arms having free ends each provided with hook means for engagement with a flexible banner; the support means arms being adapted to be moved to horizontal locations; means locking the upper support arms in horizontal locations; and tension means mounted on the lower support means engaging said lower support means arms for exerting tension on a banner engaged with said hook means.

9. The construction defined in claim 8 in which the upper support means includes a mounting bracket having pin means, the upper support means pair of arms having inner ends in slotted connection with said pin means, and the locking means comprising members on said mounting bracket and arms interengaged when the pin means is in a predetermined position in said slotted connections.

10. The construction defined in claim 8 in which the lower support means includes a mounting bracket, the lower support means pair of arms being pivotally connected to said lower mounting bracket, and in which said tension means presses the pair of lower arms in a direction away from a banner engaged with said hook means.

11. Pole banner construction of a type in which a flexible banner is removably mounted and tensioned on hooks on permanent collapsible hardware means mounted on a pole movable to supporting position and to a collapsed position; the banner comprising a rectangular sign bearing component formed of material foldable to small package size of the class consisting of cloth, fabric, and plastic; the banner having upper, lower and side edges and corners therebetween; flexible reinforcing rope means secured to and extending along each banner side edge; and loop means formed at the ends of said rope means at said banner corners adapted to be secured to the hooks of permanent pole mounted hardware.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner 10 W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

